


New Century, New Mark, New Start

by Guardian_Rose



Series: The Soulmarks of Arthur and Merlin [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Era Reference, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Modern Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-07 21:28:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8816806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Guardian_Rose/pseuds/Guardian_Rose
Summary: Set after 'Rings of Fire, Dragons and Swords', can be read separately for the most part.Merlin has been alone for so long he has even written a book about his past life with Arthur. Then on the same day he decides to get it published, Arthur is born again.New marks are formed as they work to find each other all over again.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nanesantos70](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanesantos70/gifts).



> Written for nanesantos70 from their prompt on Rings of Fire, Dragons and Swords.
> 
> Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy this! <3

_ Arthur’s hand covered Merlin’s own and the younger man leant in until their lips touched softly. Arthur froze momentarily but then wrapped his hand around the back of Merlin’s neck and pulled him in closer.  _

 

_ They would make it. _

 

Merlin was pretty sick of watching the years go by on his own. Of course there was nothing he could do about it. He had to wait for Arthur to be born again, to return to the world he had been torn from. 

 

He awaited the day with baited breath but also with that nervous anxiety that came with overthinking something for too long. What if Arthur didn’t remember their past? What if Arthur didn’t remember him? What if he died before Arthur returned or what if he went through the branding of an entire new mark when Arthur was born again but never found him? The world was so big now. With the ability to go anywhere one wanted on trains and aeroplanes or cars. 

 

So many more ways to die prematurely even with the advances in medicine. 

 

Merlin had lived through so much now and he was tired, he made friends every so often but then he’d still have to hide his magic and it was very rarely that he found someone worth putting the effort of making himself appear older in for. It was always funny in a bittersweet way though when he found books dramatising his past with Arthur in Camelot. Despite the fact that they married soon after Uther’s death, it wasn’t mentioned often. Instead the historians had decided Gwen was a better match and married her off to his soulmate. 

 

The few interpretations where Merlin and Arthur were together were his favourite of course. He’d laugh at the things that were wrong and reminisce about the things that were right. The one thing no one ever got right was Arthur’s mark. Their mark. No one got even close to what it really was, many times Merlin had thought about writing his own book with the real facts written down just to preserve his memories and see the reactions to it. At one point he’d actually written it but the final draft sat on his shelf currently.

 

Merlin still had the mark from all those centuries ago, winding from his collarbone to his neck. It had changed a little during their married lives. A set of gold wedding bands now sat round the blade of the sword. A silver shooting star across the rose pink clouds and finally the golden dragon that was the centre of the mark had faded to a dull, dark grey when Arthur had died. 

 

Currently it was 2016, centuries after Camelot had been lost to history and imagination. 

 

Merlin sat in his small apartment on the horrifically light green couch that whilst being a rather bright colour, was the most comfortable couch that he had been able to find. He was staring at the final draft of his book that sat on his shelf. Practically begging him to pick it up and get it published at last. It seemed a waste not to. Merlin sighed and ran a hand through his hair. There was so little he could do that was new and even a little bit exciting. This was an opportunity. The book could do well or it could just fail completely or somewhere in between but he’d never know at this rate.

 

He stood up and took a step forward before his right arm burned. Like someone had caught him with red hot hooks that were embedded under his skin, tugging and pulling, scratching and clawing at him. He dropped to his knees and bit down on his lips until he tasted blood, his arm held to his chest and his other hand clutching at his forearm when the pain radiated from. 

 

There were much fainter tingles in his mark as well but not the same ones he used to feel when it would change. This was a hundred times more painful than the changes but it was the same undercurrent. 

 

The whole time he stayed there, hours or minutes Merlin couldn’t tell, with tears streaking down his face, he could think of one thing only, one person. Arthur.

 

_ “You really want to know?” Arthur snaps. _

 

_ “Yes.” Merlin replies honestly, bracing himself against the answer he knows is coming. _

 

_ “A lot. It hurt a hell of a lot, Merlin.” _


	2. Chapter 2

_ Merlin sighed and nodded, he was smiling. It looked sad but hopeful. Bittersweet. _

 

It took Merlin a year after the day Arthur was born to finally get his book published. It did about as well as expected. It wasn’t a huge hit but surprisingly it didn’t flunk entirely. He was proud of it and admittedly forgot about it after it was published. 

 

There were more important things to think about, to do. Because now it had all changed. Arthur was back. Admittedly he was a little kid at the moment but he was in the world again and Merlin could feel it. 

 

His magic felt lighter than he could ever remember, he could bring himself to look at the older mark again, he had purpose again. But the biggest, the best difference was the new mark on his right arm just below his shoulder. A watercolour painting of an open book and on the page instead of writing is the silhouette of who he instantly recognises as him and Arthur.

 

There was still time to wait though. It was excruciating at times, knowing that at any given moment if Merlin wanted he could use the keepsakes he has perfectly preserved to track where Arthur is. He could do it anywhere, anytime with the wedding ring on his left hand. He never took it off. Hadn’t since Arthur had ever so carefully put it on at their wedding.

 

Merlin spent seven more years meandering through life, keeping his eye out for Arthur just in case but keeping himself from actively seeking him out. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, his book was being brought to the forefront of historians reading lists and people were buying it all over the show. 

 

He got messages on the few social media sites he used regularly asking him questions like  _ ‘what do you mean by this?’, ‘are you suggesting here that not only was Arthur and Merlin gay, so were Gwaine and Percival?’  _ and Merlin’s most commonly received question  _ ‘is it fiction or are you seriously suggesting this all happened?’ _ . 

 

Merlin answered as many as possible, polite as ever. ‘ _ It means that Merlin and Arthur had to hide their mark from Arthur’s father’ _ , ‘ _ yes, I suppose I am _ ’, ‘ _ it’s mostly fiction but i’ve mixed in some of the facts I found during my research. _ ’

 

Only once during those seven years before his new found small pocket of fame did his mark change. Above the sunset scene across the pages, the title of his book was written in cursive handwriting, letters perfectly shaped but cramped down. Arthur’s handwriting.

 

Another few years and he was giving interviews and lectures to schools who had started teaching the arthurian myths and history, universities, newspapers, magazines. His every other thought was filled with wondering about Arthur, where he was, what he was doing, was he okay? Was Uther alive still? 

 

Then, years later, when Arthur was 23 according Merlin’s counting, the mark changed again. A pair of ice skated appeared in such a way that it looked like the writing already there wasn’t ink but the tracks left behind by the skates on ice. It was beautiful and instantly led Merlin to watching ice skating on as many internet sites as possible. He was drawn to the figure skating, with the music and the outfits and the way the skaters danced on the ice to the music. 

 

It was then that he found him. There was Arthur. Caught on a shaky video camera arguing with his father, his coach. Something about wanting to retire, wanting to have his own life. Merlin frowned as Arthur shook his head violently and lifted his shirt up, showing their mark to everyone around them without any hint of shame. It sat on his hip bone and up towards his stomach. He clearly knew it changed and so did Uther but they hadn’t made the connection to magic from the looks of it. Not surprising though, magic was just something believed by kids now. 

 

He didn’t show his father the one on his leg though, maybe he didn’t have it. Maybe he only had one. Something in Merlin’s stomach dropped like dead weight. What if he didn’t remember?

 

The footage stopped there. Merlin found Arthur’s competition performances and watched them all. He was graceful on ice but deadly at the same time. Rigorous, concentrated but emotional at the same time, putting everything he had into each spin, each step sequence. Merlin found an interview Arthur had given that year, a few months prior, he was talking about his hobbies. Reading was a big one apparently, but not proper fiction. Historical texts about the Arthurian period. Merlin laughed, tears rolling down his cheeks from both happiness and loneliness, when Arthur said his favorite book. 

 

Merlin’s book. Then the laughter stopped when Arthur announced he was going to retire this season, he wanted to do something like teaching. He was thinking of starting to coach other skaters. 

 

Merlin was overwhelmed. To hear the voice he had longed for for years, Arthur’s laugh was the same. Loud and true and unabashed. He looked exactly the same as well. Beautiful, radiant, strong. A King in every way. Merlin placed a quick call to his agent, he still found it weird that he had an agent to help him out now, to tell them that he wanted to do an interview in the same town Arthur supposedly lived in. The local bookstores, the schools, the singular university, whatever. Anything to give him a legitimate reason to go. They had it sorted and Merlin was catching the first train out tomorrow morning.

  
_ He didn’t want to fight this, he hadn’t wanted this before but he was learning to. This closeness and trust and belief in each other. _


	3. Chapter 3

_ He was screwed. Gaius was going to kill him if his mother didn’t first. Or Arthur might, the glare he was sending his way was not helping to improve his hopes about this. _

 

The train ride to the small, sleepy town Arthur was hopefully living in was full of nerves, regrets and trepidation. Merlin’s magic hummed and buzzed inside him happily, if it wasn’t for the insane amount of years Merlin had had to learn to control it he was fairly certain that the passengers around him would be floating or some other such magical thing.

 

The train ride lasted about two hours which was quicker than Merlin had expected but it didn’t really matter. He was finally here. In the same town as Arthur. His soulmate. He could be just around the corner, waiting for Merlin to return to him. Or he could be just waking up as it was only around 7am now. 

 

His agent had gotten him one interview today and was currently working on getting him a slot to do a lecture at the local university and the high schools, all two of them, so he could stay longer. Of course it was very last minute so it could be a little while before she could find him any more slots but at least he had one today. 11am at one of the bigger bookstores. Just a small meet and greet with book signings. They’d pushed it on social media quickly and knew that at least some people were going to be coming. Maybe Arthur would. Merlin didn’t know what he’d do if Arthur did.

 

When he actually thought about it, he had no idea what he was going to do when Arthur was actually in front of him. Would he drop everything and run to him? But then what if Arthur didn’t remember yet, he’d just be some loony author that looked younger than in some of his pictures. He could try it nice and simple, a casual hello. See how it goes and then invite him to go for coffee. That could work. Sorted. Right. 

 

Merlin had about two and a half hours to go find the hotel he had a room booked in and maybe look around town. He took his phone out to check the address of where he needed to go and followed the little map function he was fond of to get there. 

 

The hotel was a quaint house with ivy climbing the front and sides of the house. It looked like a much bigger version of a cottage. A couple was taking a walk round the front garden that was obviously taken care of with it’s flowerbeds filled with a variety of flowers from roses to sweetpeas. Merlin smiled and tugged his suitcase down the little path to the front door, the sign above reassured him that he was in the right place.

 

Inside it was warm and cosy, every surface in natural hues of deep red and brown. Merlin loved it. He walked up to the front desk. No one was around so he rang the little bell that sat to what he assumed was that morning’s paper. He waited a minute and when no one came he pressed it two more times in succession.

 

“Yes, yes, I’m coming! Hold your horses!” A familiar voice called from somewhere to Merlin’s right. 

 

Merlin stifled a cry when the owner of the voice came through a side door and stood opposite him behind the desk.

 

“Gaius.” Merlin breathed, there were tears pricking at his eyes as he took in his old tutor, friend and practically in every way but blood father. 

 

“I’m sorry, have we met? My memory’s not as good as it used to be, getting old you see.” Gaius smiled at Merlin kindly but there was no recognition in his eyes. Merlin felt something inside him sink.

 

“Oh, yeah....we met a long time ago.” Merlin mumbled, trying not to let his disappointment show in his face. 

 

If Gaius didn’t remember him then the likelihood of Arthur remembering him was low.

 

“What’s your name again?”

 

“Merlin. Merlin Emrys. I uh have a room booked?” He forced a smile and changed topic, best not to linger in the past right now. 

 

“Emrys? You wrote that book didn’t you? What was it-” Gaius’s eyebrows furrowed and Merlin let out a soft laugh at the familiarity.

 

“Yeah, that’s me. ‘Rings of Fire, Dragons and Swords’. I’m doing a signing session today at one of the bookstores.” 

 

“What time? I’ll let people know. Your book’s pretty popular around these parts.” Gaius got out a pen and paper and wrote down the details that Merlin gave him. “Right, you have a room booked?”

 

Merlin nodded and waited while Gaius started typing on the computer tablet in front of him. 

 

“Room 4, here are your keys. To the left, up the stairs and then just follow the room numbers. Breakfast is at 7 to 9 then dinner is at 5 to 8. Enjoy your stay.” Gaius handed the key over. Merlin said a quick thanks and picked up his suitcase. “Do you need any help with that?”

 

“No, it’s alright Gaius. Thank you though.” Merlin winced as the old man raised his eyebrow at him.

 

“You know, I might be beginning to remember where I know you from…”

 

“Really?” Merlin asked hopefully, adjusting the scarf on around his neck that covered his first mark. 

 

Merlin stood awkwardly while Gaius looked him over, waiting for him to speak. He didn’t really know whether to just go and find his room or not, would that be rude?

 

“Gwaine!” Gaius yelled suddenly, making Merlin jump out of his skin at the sudden outburst.

 

“What? What’s happened? Is it Percy? Has he bloody injured himself again, I swear to god if he has been challenging Ar- You are not Percy.” Merlin felt light headed now.

 

In front of him stood Gaius and now Gwaine as well. Merlin had missed them all so much and now here they were and apparently PErcival was around too. There was still no recognition though and it stung at his heart. 

 

“Hi.” Merlin waved pathetically.

 

“Holy crap. You’re the author of that book Arthur’s obsessed with.” Gwaine looked smug still, smirking as he took his time looking Merlin over.

 

“Arthur…” Very lightheaded.

 

“Gwaine, enough. I did call you for a reason.” Gaius rolled his eyes and Gwaine just turned his smirk on the older man.

 

“Obviously, what’s up?”

 

“Can you take Merlin to Gwen’s bookstore when he’s ready? He’s doing a signing there and I don’t want him getting lost.” Gaius asked, Gwaine raised his eyebrow before agreeing. 

 

“Sure. I need to find Arthur at some point though, tell him his crush is in town.” 

 

“Crush?” Merlin murmured, his brain overloading with all the information being thrown at it.

 

“Fine. Bookstore first then you can go find him.” Gaius shooed both of them away then, Merlin took the opportunity to disappear and drop his bags off while Gwaine followed. 

 

Merlin’s room wasn’t huge but it wasn’t tiny. He set his suitcase and bag on the bed, ran a hand through his hair and grabbed what he needed for the signing before stepping back out into the corridor where Gwaine was waiting. He needed time to process but he only had an hour to get to the bookstore and get set up now. It had taken him awhile to get to the hotel.

 

“So, Merlin… have we met before?” Gwaine asked coyly as they walked out of the hotel.

 

“Long time ago maybe.” Merlin replied, looking at the houses and shops they passed walking down the streets.

 

“Mhmm. So what brought you to our little town?” 

 

“I needed a break from cities and big towns, they get dull after a while.”

 

“You not got anyone you’re leaving behind?” Merlin laughed at the obvious hinting in Gwaine’s voice, he wanted so badly for the once-knight to remember him.

 

“No. Have you, got anyone?” Merlin asked back, hoping beyond hope that him and Percival had finally sorted themselves out.

 

“Oh me? Yeah, I’ve got Percy. He’s awesome. Sweet but you don’t wanna mess with him. If you stay long enough I’ll introduce you.” Gwaine smiled happily for a minute and Merlin stifled a laugh.

 

They walked in silence for a few minutes before Gwaine started talking again, questions about Merlin’s book that he had answered a million times before. But it felt different now, now that it was Gwaine, one of his old friends that he was talking to. It was wonderful but heartbreaking at the same time. 

 

They arrived at the bookstore at last and Merlin grinned happily as they stepped inside. There were shelves upon shelves of books lining the walls, a counter to the left of the door to pay at and then to the right was an open space that was already set up for Merlin to sit at. 

 

“Gwen! Lance! You here?” Gwaine yelled as he jumped to sit on the counter. 

 

Merlin walked into the shelves area, musing at the titles and the lack of customers this early in the morning. 9am was still early though he had to admit. He spotted someone with long black hair further down the line of shelves so Merlin made his way over. It was a woman, wearing a deep red dress with gold decoration on. She was concentrating on putting books in the right order on the shelf, balancing at the top of a ladder. 

 

“Um hello?” Merlin said softly, trying not to make her jump but it didn’t work. 

 

The woman turned to look at him sharply, consequently losing her footing on the ladder and starting to fall backwards with a surprised squeak. Gwen. Of course it was Gwen. Merlin’s hand shot out, his eyes flashed gold and he lowered Gwen to the ground softly, making sure she landed on her feet. He stood the ladder up at the same time and made the books fly back onto the shelf. He let go of the spell quickly and lowered his hand. It had taken what? Two, three hours for him to mess up already?

 

Merlin prepared himself to be accused of whatever evilness he had now, or that he was an alien, or questions. From the woman who had once been one of his first friends in Camelot. Whom he had admired and looked up to for her bravery.

 

They didn’t come. Instead of the lack of recognition that had been in Gwaine and Gaius’s eyes, Gwen’s eyes sparkled and she grinned at him like he remembered her smiling on her wedding day. 

 

“Merlin! Oh my God, Merlin! I remember, Merlin!” Gwen cried, wrapping her arms around Merlin's neck and pulling him in for a hug that he returned. Relief and pure joy flooding his veins. Maybe there was hope for Arthur to recognise him too. Maybe he just needed to jog everyone’s memory with his magic and her problem was solved.

 

“You have no idea how much I’ve missed you, Gwen.” Merlin whispered, tears threatening to spill down his cheeks. 

  
_ Merlin lifted his hands and without saying any words in any strange language to cast a spell, he let the magic do as it wished. Let it take form in his mind until he opened his eyes and let go. _


	4. Chapter 4

_ Arthur barked a quiet laugh and met Merlin’s eyes, the moonlight dancing in them. _

 

_ “Those bloody neckerchiefs. I’ve always hated them.” _

  
  


Merlin stood with Gwen in his arms for a minute before he gently pushed her back by the shoulders, there were tears in the corners of his eyes but he magicked them away quickly. 

 

“Does anyone else know? Have you seen any of the others? Merlin, I’m so happy you’re here!” Gwen was grinning from ear to ear and there were tears in her eyes too.

 

“I met Gaius at the hotel and Gwaine is at the front of the store, he showed me how to get here.” Merlin winced as the excitement faded into worry in Gwen’s eyes.

 

“Why aren’t you happy about that? Didn’t they- did they not remember you?” Gwen looked shocked and rather upset on Merlin’s behalf. He shook his head, smiling sadly,

 

“No, they didn’t. But I think I know how to jog their memory. You remembered as soon as you saw my magic right, so hopefully it’ll work on them too. I’ve just got to be careful about doing it in front of normal people, magic is not overly...accepted or understood.” Merlin explained, relieved when Gwen looked convinced.

 

“Let’s go find Gwaine now then.” 

 

Gwen grabbed his wrist and led him back to the front of the store where Gwaine was leaning on the counter looking at his phone. He looked up as they got closer, smiling brightly at the pair of them.

 

“Gwen! I see Merlin found you then-” Merlin cut Gwaine off with a muttered apology and held up a hand, summoning the other man’s phone to his own hand.

 

There were a few excruciating seconds where Gwen’s grip on his wrist tightened almost painfully before Gwaine looked Merlin up and down, recognition flaring in his eyes.

 

“Bloody hell, Merlin! We obviously met before, you don’t look a day older than when we first met though.” Gwaine smirked playfully and Merlin grinned back.

 

His theory had worked. This was how he was going to wake Arthur up, make him remember; he’d just have to find a way to get him alone in order to make sure his magic wasn’t discovered.

 

“And you have swapped neckerchiefs for scarves I see. They are still horrendous, Merlin. I mean really.” Gwaine teased, walking over and tugging at the end of the navy blue scarf he was wearing.

 

“Yes well, we can partly blame Arthur for that can’t we.” Gwen added, letting go of Merlin to busy herself with setting up Merlin’s little signing area. Merlin didn’t say anything, thinking of the new mark on his forearm. 

 

“It is still there isn’t it? Merlin?” Gwen sounded unsure, Gwaine was looking worriedly at him too.

 

“Oh, yeah. It’s still there, thankfully.” Merlin answered, forcing a quiet laugh. Gwaine raised an eyebrow and shared a look with Gwen who rolled her eyes.

 

“So, let me get this straight. If you haven’t died but we’ve all been reborn, including Arthur, does that mean he was born with the mark this time? Or did you get a new one?”

 

“I have two now. One on my upper arm.” Merlin let Gwen tug him over to sit in his chair. He got the copies of his book out his bag to add to the piles Gwen had set out.

 

“Are you here for Arthur? Is that how come you’ve come to the middle of nowhere?” Gwen asked as she fussed around him.

 

“Yes.” Merlin nodded.

 

“Shit.” Gwaine whispered gleefully, catching both of their attention.

 

“What?” Merlin asked cautiously.

 

“Arthur’s coming to this. We were going to get drinks after.” Gwaine brought up a chair to sit next to Merlin behind the table. “Do you mind if I stay? I’ve just got to see this, he’s been crushing on you since he first read your book a couple of years ago and found you online.” 

 

Merlin groaned and hid his head in his hands, Gwen sat behind the counter and swivelled on her stool to keep talking to them.

 

“Gwaine stop teasing him, he’s having a busy enough day as it is. We all are. Merlin, are you planning on waking up Elyan and Lancelot and the other knights?”

 

“I was hardly going to leave them out of Gwaine’s mockery, Gwen. Plus at this rate I expect I’ll do it by accident.”

 

“Merlin do you still have my phone?” Gwaine asked, looking around the table to see if he’d put it down. Merlin handed it over and started organising the stuff on the table, he had an assortment of pens to sign books with and wasn’t really sure which to start with.

 

“Thanks. I’m gonna text Arthur to remind him.” Merlin just nodded numbly.

 

Arthur was going to be here soon. Merlin looked out the window behind him quickly before he started switching the pens around in front of him with his magic to keep himself occupied. If he was focused then he had less time to get lost in thoughts and worries about how it would go when he finally saw Arthur again. 

About five minutes later the first few customers started filing in so Merlin dropped the pens quickly, making Gwaine jump next to him. He muttered an apology. He signed a few books, answered question after question with Gwaine’s interjections keeping him from stressing too much.

 

Gwen directed everyone who came in over to Merlin and was almost constantly ringing up books for people and he was happy to bring her more sales. Merlin was midway through signing a book when Gwaine rather unsubtly elbowed him in the ribs, he ignored the knight and instead sent a little shock of heat up his arm to tell him to stop. The warlock smiled and handed the book over to the woman in front of him before turning to look at Gwaine expecting it to be another one of the rather hilarious photos of the knights that was in a folder on his phone.

 

“What?” Merlin asked when Gwaine didn’t show him anything.

 

“Behind you.” He said, looking for all the world like he was a kid just walking into a candy store where everything was free.

 

Merlin frowned in confusion before turning to his left. Standing in the doorway, rather obviously staring at Merlin was Arthur. The warlock felt his lungs freeze and his magic sang in his veins, there was nothing that mattered other than the fact that Arthur was right there standing in front of him. Merlin unconsciously started turning the wedding band on his hand, unable to look away.

 

“Magic Merlin. There’s no one else here so do it now.” Gwaine hissed in his ear. Merlin watched, captivated, as Arthur’s eyes flickered to the knight with confusion before refocusing on Merlin.

 

Gwaine prodded him in the back and he stood up, hitting his knee on the table awkwardly causing everyone there to wince. Merlin felt his cheeks flare red but ignored it in favour of holding out his hand to Arthur who just looked at it. He rolled his eyes and lifted it higher, eyes flashing gold as he created a small gust of wind to tickle the back of the blond’s neck; something he’d done every day back in Camelot to let the King know he had just entered the room.

 

Arthur blanched, looking Merlin up and down. His eyes lingering on the ring on the warlock’s hand and the scarf round his neck.

 

“Even after centuries you are still wearing bloody neckerchiefs, you look like an idiot.” Arthur said at last, a smile pulling at his lips. Merlin laughed and for once didn’t feel like crying because what use were tears when Arthur was right there and he remembered him. 

 

“It’s a scarf, you prat.” Merlin returned, lowering his hand to his side.

 

“Why the hell are you still over there, Merlin?” Arthur asked, one eyebrow raised but everything about him was soft, a look of pure affection.

 

“God, I’ve missed you.” Merlin whispered as he closed the space between them and let himself be wrapped up in Arthur’s strong arms, the familiar warmth feeling more like home than anything else Merlin knew. 

 

_ Merlin let himself be wrapped in Arthur’s arms, he buried his face in the blonde’s neck and Arthur pressed featherlight kisses on the side of Merlin’s neck on their mark. _

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! <3
> 
> Any and all comments welcome! Especially prompts! <3


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